San Antonio woman reunited with service pig

:
January 23, 2014
: Updated: January 23, 2014 11:11pm

Demeter the Pig was last seen wearing a pink harness in the area of Mathis road and 37 South.

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

Photo By Sarah Snyder, courtesy

Demeter the pig

SAN ANTONIO — Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, Demeter the potbellied pig made it all the way home and back into the arms of the woman who had been desperately searching for her service animal since Wednesday night.

Named for a Greek goddess, Sarah Snyder, 33, of San Antonio, has owned Demeter since she was 6 weeks old. The black-and-white pig, now 2 years old, is a constant companion for Snyder, who has anxiety, depression and chronic muscular diseases, including fibromyalgia, acute sciatica and scoliosis.

Snyder and her pig were visiting friends who live off of Mathis Road and Interstate 37 in South Bexar County on Wednesday night when Demeter walked off.

Snyder immediately launched a search in the area for Demeter, who had been wearing a pink harness. With help from social media, news reports and flyers, she got the word out that she was looking for her best friend.

“My heart is broken,” Snyder said earlier Thursday, her voice quivering. “I beg that someone, or people, out of the kindness of their hearts, can return her.”

With freezing temperatures looming and fears Demeter would perish in the cold, Snyder got the call she had been waiting for.

A woman who lived in the rural community where Demeter got lost found the animal in her family's yard Wednesday night, Snyder said. She placed Demeter in a chicken pen for her safety. The next day, the woman's husband saw a report about the lost pig and contacted Snyder.

At 6:30 p.m., Snyder was happily reunited with Demeter. Upon returning home, Snyder said Demeter dove under some covers, presumably for warmth since she spent the night outside, possibly for the first time in her life.

Snyder imagined that Demeter followed a dog off her friend's property and onto the neighbor's, which was about two driveways down. Because of the size of the properties, she said she couldn't see where Demeter had been confined.

Though she didn't get the name of the man who returned Demeter, Snyder said she was extremely thankful for Demeter's safe return.

Demeter, along with being a service pet is also a therapy pet, and she went right to work shortly after her return, massaging some pressure points on Snyder to relieve some stress and to show affection, she said.

“We're all just going to sleep” now, Snyder said after her long day. “Thanks to everybody!”